The Future of Participatory Civil Society Assessments: A Conceptual Analysis aims to contribute to the discussion between different stakeholders on future approaches in participatory civil society assessments.

This paper synthesises the main literature, arguments, theories and proposals coming from academia, civil society, politicians and commentators on the “new multilateralism”– a complex, multilayered process where non-state actors have become increasingly important players in global governance.

Engaging with the Urban Poor and their Organizations for Poverty Reduction and Urban Governance is primarily about the initiatives of organizations formed by the urban poor themselves and the potential these have as partners for UNDP offices.

UNDP Corporate Strategy charts a course to revitalize the engagement of UNDP with civil society and its organizations. It seeks to bring about a fundamental shift in the relationship, geared towards recognizing the evolving nature and growing influence of civil society, drawing on its strengths and capacities, and maximizing the potential of civic engagement for development.

The recent era of the ‘War on Terror’ has put at risk processes of democratization and the status of human rights in developing countries. Civil society should stay engaged to ensure that each nation’s security sector is a rights-respecting service working for security as a public good. This handbook for civil society organizations formulates practical guidance on how to help make the security sector law-abiding, transparent and accountable to society.

This report documents the ways in which civil society actors, especially at the community level, emerged as significant partners in crisis response and recovery following the Ceasefire Agreement and the tsunami in Sri Lanka.

This study, commissioned by UNDP from the Overseas Development Institute, calls for broader national participation in Poverty and Social Impact Analysis (PSIA) processes. It includes three country case studies from Uganda, Armenia and Bolivia.

UNDP's Work on Civic Engagement

A fundamental aspect of a democratic state is the right of its citizens to participate in decision-making processes. The success of development and participatory governance depends on both a robust state and an active civil society with healthy levels of civic engagement.